Press Release

New Collection of Short Stories by Diane Thomas-Plunk Stars Unlikely Hero

Readers can step back in time with a new series of stories set in the rural Mississippi delta in the 1950s.

Olive Branch, MS, April 25, 2017 --(PR.com)-- Opal Pratt is a reclusive spinster who lives in 1950s rural Mississippi. Although avoiding confrontation is a top priority, she is there, even if reluctantly, for those she loves. Opal stars in a new collection of short stories by Diane Thomas-Plunk, released by Dog Ear Publishing.

“Opal” showcases stories with intriguing titles such as "Deception," "Secrets" and "The Funeral." In addition to Opal, readers will meet a stripper, an immigrant Baptist preacher, a pregnant teenager, a blind furniture store owner who has some frightening experiences, a young friend named Billy and Opal’s only suitor, Lem, whose ill-fated story is told in "Gentleman Caller."

A force of nature provides an opportunity for reconciliation to a girl estranged from her grandfather. After a harrowing emotional experience with family, Opal rises to the occasion to defend one of her own. She comes through in a different way when a scared young boy turns to her for help when his parents leave him nowhere to turn.

The author, who was raised in the South, ably captures life in a small rural town, which can feel like a fishbowl sometimes but also means its residents develop deep relationships and emotions. Readers will become engrossed in the descriptions and dialogue of the stories in this unforgettable collection.

Author Diane Thomas-Plunk has published more than a dozen short stories and poems in Deep South Magazine, Belle Reve Literary Journal, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Steel Toe Review and China Grove Magazine. The Memphis, Tenn., native is a Pushcart Prize nominee and was recognized by National Public Radio when her entry was named a favorite in its Three-Minute Fiction contest. Her story “Cassie’s Chair” was a finalist in the Nivalis 2016 short fiction competition. She and her husband live in north Mississippi.

Dog Ear Publishing partners with authors to shape content that resonates with readers as diverse as the books we publish. Our mission is to leverage expertise, technology and relationships to form a meaningful and lasting bond between creators, content and culture as a whole. Dog Ear Publishing is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and can be contacted by phone at (317) 228-3656 or through our website, www.dogearpublishing.net.